On the subject of too many clothes

[anotheranon]

Given my recent belt-tightening measures I've given this subject a lot of thought. Fashion nerd that I am, I've concluded that there's no such thing as too many clothes, rather, the problem is too many of the wrong kind.


Reading Fashion Victim: Our Love-Hate Relationship With Dressing, Shopping, and the Cost of Style also brought a lot of things I'd already been considering into sharp focus. Namely:

• Staying "in fashion" is an expensive run on a hamster-wheel - no one wanting to keep up with the latest trends will ever get to the "finish line" because trends change so quickly.
  
• Chasing trends is expensive, especially if you're hung up on having the designer of the moment. Which leads me to one of my favorite rants -
  
• A lot of what is in stores - designer and not - is poorly made of crappy fabrics. I don't care if it's <insert designer here>, a 100% polyester suit looks and feels nasty - poor drape, scratchy, off-grain seams, etc.
  
• so much of what is deemed fashionable is either uncomfortable or unflattering that there's little point in bothering anyway.
  

Understand: I'm not against retail therapy and I still love the work of some designers for their sheer originality (Issey Miyake, Vivienne Westwood, Hussein Chalayan). There's also the charm of the occasional Shiny Thing (Custo Barcelona t-shirts!)

What grates is the trend towards truly lousy fabrication being deemed "fashionable" because it has designer logos all over it.

In my old age, I'm also getting tired of buying poorly made items only to have them wear out in a year's time.

My new clothing rules:

• If ain't broke, don't fix it. I found the perfect slippers ~4 years ago and as long as they keep making them I'll get a new pair every year. Now, if I could only find a make of jeans so utterly sublime...
  
• Quality trumps quantity - 1 pair of well made pants in a (partially) natural fabric is better than 3 pair that will fall apart in the wash. Or, in my case, make my own, so if they fall apart it's my fault and not the vendor/designer/sweatshop, etc.
  
• Don't get something simply because it's "the latest". I don't care how trendy brown leather and orange is this year, they make me look jaundiced :P
  
• Less $ spent on flimsy trends = more money for books :):)
  
• If something I like IS in style this season, stock up like mad to get through the lean times (the retro-punk thing of belted/zipped jeans makes me happy :)
  
• Thrift stores rule. Making my own clothes rules more ;)
  

Comments

[geekchick]

If something I like IS in style this season, stock up like mad to get through the lean times

Explaining why I was hunting down every pair of pointy-toed granny boots I could find a while ago. ;)

[madbodger.livejournal.com]

My sweetie bought a pair of shoes that looked great and were the most comfortable shoes she'd ever had. They also were well made, and lasted a long time. I told her to go snag a second pair. And she dithered about it! *boggle* She tends to be ahead of the trend curve anyway (the stuff she wears is dismissed as bizarre, then becomes cool a few years later).

Now I find an upcoming need for business casual. I don't have the time to make a few outfits, and I don't know where to buy non-dull business attire. I'll ask some of my gay friends.

I'm totally with you on the rest of it; clothes that fall apart or aren't comfortable simply aren't worth my time or money.

[semmie17.livejournal.com]

I gave up on women's fashion when I discovered that I looked better in men's clothes than women's clothes. Something about my height and being broadshouldered and all, I guess. I can put on men's jeans and they just curve to my figure better than women's jeans. Men's shoes are better made, too.

I mix men's and women's clothes based on feeling and texture, add in my ubiquitous silver jewelry, my (now blonde) hair, and just create my own style. Somewhere around 1995 I gave up on the fashionable set, and never went back. I'd rather haunt thrift stores and take home peculiar things made of silk and velvet. It's amazing how a flirty silk scarf can feminize a chunky men's jacket.

But hey, I live in the land of ice and snow. I spend most of my year bundled up in black clothing: Timberland boots, big huge parkas, turtlenecks and sweaters. Oh, and leather. Leather is *always* fashionable.... ~le sigh~

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

I can put on men's jeans and they just curve to my figure better than women's jeans. Men's shoes are better made, too.

Men's clothes are better made in general, IMHO. I think it's because men's styles change much more slowly, so manufacturers realize that clothing is more of an investment rather than trend item - better made = value added. Just my own speculation. Also men's sizes are more consident - a 32" inseam isn't going to change label to label!!

And re: combining men's and women's clothes - androgyny can be fun sometimes, and a male suit on the female body can look surprisingly feminine when worn well :)